


Sugar in my Coffee

by CaptainSummerDay



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: All Human AU, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:11:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6770050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainSummerDay/pseuds/CaptainSummerDay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spy AU:</p>
<p>Skye knows that they're all just human, that they all make mistakes. But when you make a living from dealing in secrets those mistakes have a cost.</p>
<p>And it looks like there's a score to be settled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Every agent has a bad day sometimes.  It’s part of the job. Sooner or later, everyone slips up.

 

Everyone. Everyone knew that. Skye knew that.

 

Skye knew she was no exception.

 

Sooner or later, everyone slips up.

 

It was such a rookie error.

 

But a moment of distraction was sometimes all it took.

 

***

 

Skye had been too busy focusing on responding to the email she'd received to really be paying much attention to the customers clustered around the counter in the busy coffee shop. Normally her training would have her at least semi alert to any potential threats in the crowd currently clammering for a fix of a caffeine. Especially in a small space with limited exits (the front doors and a fire escape by the customer restrooms), but all of her attention was diverted into trying to parse some additional meaning from Mack’s short four lines. Something was happening behind closed doors in the office, causing a subtle tension amongst S.H.I.E.L.D's employees that even had the usually unflappable May snarling at anyone who disturbed her. Judging by Mack's careful choice of words it seemed that none of them would be in the dark for much longer. Coulson was calling a staff meeting for the entire firm this afternoon and Skye had upgraded her usual regular black filter to the largest size possible as it sounded like no-one would be leaving anytime soon.

 

Skye reread the message she’d received for the fifth time as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

 

Maybe she should stop by the 24 hr bar on the corner and get a shot of something to put in her coffee before making an appearance...

 

The mass of people around her shifted, causing an anonymous elbow to knock Skye out of her contemplation long enough to realise the frazzled barista was calling out her name. Skye shouldered her way to the counter and scooped up the coffee, focusing on getting out of the shop before she attempted to take a sip. The odds of a spill caused by an anxious caffeine junkie seemed too high inside and she had only just collected her office wear from the drycleaners.

 

With a relieved sigh Skye managed to break free of the throng and stepped onto the sidewalk outside. The sun was doing its best to dazzle passersby and Skye dug through her purse for her sunglasses, slipping them onto her face as she reached the crossing that would take her across the street to the office. As she waited for the signal to change she brought the coffee up to her lips and took a sip.

 

The sweetness and vague hint of almond caught her off guard.

 

Before she could do more than cough in shock, the traffic stopped and the rush of pedestrians hurrying to start their day carried her across the road. As the crowd splintered in their differing destinations Skye paused and raised up the coffee cup. She'd been so focused on her email and what she might face once she got to work that she hadn't paid much attention to what the barista had called out in the shop, but a clawing feeling in her gut meant she suddenly wasn't sure it was Daisy.

 

Her stomach flipped as she read the name, her real name, on the side.

 

Skye.

 

Daisy Johnson drank black filtered coffee. No sugar, no cream, nothing to defuse the slightly bitter tang.

 

Skye had favoured sweeter concoctions, with amaretto syrup being a particular treat when normal sugar wouldn't do.

 

Skye swallowed back the bile she felt rising in her throat and hastily dumped the still full coffee in the nearest trashcan as she squared back her shoulders and marched down the street. She scanned the reflections in the office windows as she passed, but there was no sign of anyone paying her any attention.

 

Despite that the hair on the back on her neck prickled.

 

***

 

"Mind if I sit here?"

 

Skye's fingers skidded across the laptop keyboard as the smooth warm voice cut into her concentration. She glanced up, and up some more to find herself staring into eyes the same colour as the caramel sauce currently oozing its way down the side of her sundae. Holy crap he was gorgeous. Tall and lean, with broad shoulders and sculpted cheekbones. The light streaming in through the windows of the dinner highlighted the five o'clock shadow dusting his jaw line as his lips quirked into a smile. Skye swallowed as she quickly tabbed away from the open window on her screen and blinked. Nope, not a hallucination caused by too much caffeine and sugar. He was still there, smiling down at her when she opened her eyes.

 

"What?" she said eloquently as her brain and words failed her.

 

The smile widened as he nodded towards the empty bench opposite her.

 

"Mind if I sit here? I wasn't expecting the place to be so busy."

 

Skye blinked again as she turned her head to take in the rest of the diner. At some point between her grabbing the booth in the back corner and being interrupted by a walking definition of yum, the small seating area had filled up.

 

There was a brief clenching in her stomach as Skye quickly loaded up a random entertainment site on her laptop, aware of the program running in the background, soaking up all the data currently floating across the unguarded Wi-Fi.

 

Skye caught her bottom lip between her teeth and sucked in a steadying breath. What if he was an undercover cop or something here to bust her for skimming? She’d planned on getting another three coffee’s worth of info before bailing...

 

Skye turned back and let her gaze travel across the man stood in front of her.

 

Like any cop was that hot.

 

Skye shook the doubts from her head and let an answering smile curve her lips. There was a moment when something in his expression shifted slightly, a flash of some emotion in his eyes too fleeting to put a name to before it vanished into his calm facade.

 

“Sure thing”

 

His smile widened as he dropped and slid into the seat opposite.

 

“Thanks.”

 

 Skye’s stomach flipped as the movement caused her to be hit full force with the dazzling smile.  

 

No way was he a cop. That smile alone had to be illegal in at least ten states.

 

 He cocked his head briefly and Skye realised she’d been caught staring. She felt her cheeks flush as she dropped her gaze back to her sundae and hastily caught a molten slide of ice cream down the side of the glass with her finger.

 

The taste of sugar on her tongue did nothing to help the slow increase of her heartbeat. A cough snapped her out of her thoughts and she glanced back across the table to see the stranger had picked up one of her sugar packets and was holding it up with a raised eyebrow.

 

“How are you not climbing the walls by now?”

 

“Okay, one. Judgey. You can’t just comment on people’s lifestyle choices.” Skye leaned across to snatch the packet of sugar from his fingers and put it back next to the two others by her right elbow, gesturing to them as she did. “And two. This is actually a way to manage my sugar intake. One pack per coffee and three’s the limit.”

 

He laughed and spread his hands in apology. “My mistake. I had no idea there was a system in play.”

 

God, he had a nice laugh.

 

Skye shook her head slowly as she shrugged a shoulder, fighting against the smile that was pushing at her lips. “Shouldn’t go by first impressions, dude. They’ll trip you up every time.”

 

He laughed again and leaned back in his seat, allowing the server to place a mug of coffee down in front of him. Skye nodded her assent as the woman gestured towards Skye’s own empty cup, aware of the eyes watching her from across the table.

 

“Really?” His amusement rumbled through the word.

 

Skye refused to meet his eyes as she picked up the sugar packet again and tore off the top, pouring it all into the coffee and stirring it in with an exaggerated swirl of her wrist.

 

“Yep.”

 

She let the word pop off her lips as she raised up the coffee cup and blew on it.

 

She saw his eyebrow raise in challenge out of the corner of her eye and raised the cup slightly more to cover the twitch at the side of her mouth.

 

He knew she was checking him out.

 

And okay, _maybe_ she could argue that flirting to cover the fact that _maybe_ she was doing something kind of criminal and his messing with her carefully balanced risk assessment gauge had kinda freaked her out slightly and was _kinda_ shady.

 

But the dude was freaking hot and blatantly checking her out too so...

 

Skye took a deep swallow of coffee and set the mug back down on the table as she turned to mirror his position and raise her eyebrow in return.

 

His eyes hastily flicked up from her lips and he coughed as he shifted in his seat.

 

“So-“

 

“What’s a girl like me doing in a place like this?” Skye grinned and tapped her laptop. “Here for the free Wi-Fi.”

 

He blinked.

 

Skye cocked her head as she leaned in towards him. “Did I steal your line?”

 

He leaned in to meet her. “Who said I had a line?”

 

Skye slowly raised her eyebrow as she held his gaze. His lips twitched, betraying the laugh seconds before he leaned back again with a rueful sigh.

 

“Yeah, you totally stole my line.”

 

“Just be grateful it wasn’t your credit card details.”

 

Wait. SHIT. WHY DID SHE SAY THAT????

 

Skye’s momentary panic evaporated as he laughed again, the smooth warm sound washing over her and pulling out an answering smile.

 

He totally had a sexy laugh, Skye decided as she felt herself melting under his gaze.

 

He picked up his coffee, and inclined his head towards her, his lips quirking behind the rim of the cup. “Or my wallet? You still got time. Something tells me I shouldn’t get too cocky.”

 

“Maybe you should.”

 

She’d murmured the words without realising, her attention on the finger she was tracing round the edge of her coffee mug as she wondered what lay hidden beneath the dark cotton of his T-shirt.

 

Somewhere in the back of her mind a part of her was screaming, begging her to stop saying what she was thinking and just focus, but his eyes had flared when she spoke and she saw his pupils dilate as he sucked in a breath.

 

Skye felt her heart rate quicken in response but then he snapped his gaze away suddenly and coughed.

 

“So you’re from the neighbourhood?”

 

Those eyes flicked back to her and Skye caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she felt a hitch in her breathing.

 

It was so hard to focus on anything other than him.

 

Wait.

 

He’d asked a question.

 

Skye dipped her gaze to look coyly over at him as she took another long swallow of coffee. “Mmmm. How’d you know?”

 

She added in a flutter of eyelashes just for effect and felt a rush of glee as he started and shifted in his chair again, frowning in an adorably flustered kind of way.

 

“You just... seemed like you’re from around here.”

 

Skye propped her chin on her hand as she continued to trace circles on the rim of her mug and grinned.

 

“Around. That’s funny. Around. Cos I live in my van and drive it around. So the men in black don’t catch me. Keep driving it around.”

 

Skye trailed off as she felt her elbow tremble. Her head felt heavy. She could feel the drag of her eyelids.

 

He was watching her so attentively.

 

Skye wanted to just stretch out on top of him and bask in the sunlight that was flooding in through the window.

 

It was too bright.

 

Skye wet her lips.

 

She heard the sudden intake of breath.

 

It was too bright.

 

“There’s a bed in the back.”

 

She saw him freeze and realised what she just said. Skye felt her cheeks flame.

 

It was so bright.

 

Her thoughts struggled to form as her head spun.

 

“I don’t feel so good.”

 

Skye felt herself slumping forward.

 

Dimly Skye could hear his voice murmuring something about flu and fresh air. There was a soothing warmth across her torso as his arms banded around her, supporting her weight.

 

Which was nice as her legs just did not seem to want to work properly.

 

The ground shifted and then she felt herself get swept up and cradled against a firm chest, her head resting next to the crook of his neck. Her last thought before the blackness swept in was how good he smelt...

 

***

 

The box was covered in black leather.

 

Normally, Skye would have seen it as she entered the office, but the slight crowd of her co-workers gathered round her desk meant that she didn’t spot the cause of the whispers until she drew close enough to glimpse over their shoulders.

 

Black leather, with a subtle gold embossed outline around the lid and a discreet initial of the expensive store it came from, wrapped with a white satin bow.

 

Skye swallowed involuntarily.

 

She could still taste coffee, sugar and almond.

 

Dimly she was aware of the oohs and ahhs around her as she dumped her purse on her chair and reached for the ends of the bow.

 

The ribbon slipped apart with effortless ease, whispering across her fingertips.

 

The leather was soft when she placed her hands on it, the card underneath firm as she lifted off the lid.

 

The chatter on the edges of her hearing increased at the sight of the single rose, bud just starting to unfurl, that lay inside. The white satin bed highlighted the colour of the petals, pale yellow changing to a deep flaming crimson at the tip, vibrant as the sunrise.

 

Or sunset.

 

Skye could hear the questions as to who had sent the gift. Was it an apology from Lincoln? A new beau? A secret admirer?

 

There was no card but Skye didn't join in.

 

She knew exactly who it was from.

 

Why he sent it.

 

***

 

Skye’s stomach lurched.

 

"We've got him. Coulson wanted me to tell you good work. We found him exactly where you said he would be."

 

Skye swallowed. It did little to fight the rising nausea. "That's great."

 

She could hear a ringing in her ears. It caused an answering throb behind her eyes.

 

Skye was blaming the car’s Bluetooth.

 

"Clean grab too. He seemed to have no idea we were there until we were in the room with him. Apparently there was little to no resistance either. At least until he found out where we were taking him."

 

"Awesome" Skye commented weakly. She flinched as the morning sun glinted off the windscreen of a car passing in the opposite direction, the light sending shards of pain into her. Dimly she was aware that Bobbi was still talking.

 

"...not sure how you did it but I think you can take your operational status as a certainty now.”

 

There was a huff of laughter at the other end of the line. Skye gritted her teeth together as she passed the sign welcoming her to California.

 

Just another hour. She could do this.

 

“Never thought I'd see the day where Ward went off meek as a kitten in handcuffs."

 

Skye swallowed again. The mint from her toothpaste seemed to be buckling under the taste of too many bad decisions in her mouth.

 

Her stomach gave another lurch. She pressed on the button to crack open the driver’s window. Another passing reflection speared right through her.

 

“Hunter said it took all four of them to subdue him later though. When Coulson read him the custody order.”

 

She was going to throw up. Oh god. She was going to throw up.

 

“Bobbi, I’m going to have to ring off. “ Skye murmured, thickly. “Traffic.”

 

“Really? There’s nothing showing on any of the monitors...”

 

Skye lurched the wheel to the right, pulling roughly on the shoulder of the highway.

 

“Daisy? Daisy, are you all right?”

 

“Fine.” Skye panted out as she cut the connection and grappled for the release of her seatbelt as the car ground to a stop.

 

Moments later she had flung the driver’s door open and dropped to her knees in the dirt as she emptied her stomach of its contents.

 

With a cough, Skye sucked fresh air into her lungs and collapsed next to the rear passenger door.

 

She pressed her face against the cool metal as she drew in shaky breaths.

 

She could taste the bitter sour tang still in her mouth.

 

It was the hangover.  She was never drinking again.

 

She's such a damned liar.

 

***

 

Skye spun the pen idly through her fingers as she let her gaze wander across the room. Fitzsimmons stood huddled by the doorway, fiercely debating something in furious whispers. Knowing the two British support techs, it was just as likely to be some obscure TV show from the sixties as it was about the rumours that had been floating through the office.

 

Considering their whole business comprised of secrets, Skye did find a vague sense of irony in how furiously the rumour mill had been spinning about the topic of the mandated staff meeting.  Skye felt curiously detached from the whole thing, her thoughts constantly skipping over the black leather box she could see on her desk every time the door swung open and another employee entered.

 

Skye tried to swallow.

 

Why was her mouth so dry? She reached into her pocket and tapped a mint out of its packing.

 

Spearmint.

 

God she hated Spearmint.

 

The door swung open once more, this time to admit Coulson, May shadowing like usual. Gradually the assorted conversations tailed off as the two made their way to the front of the room.

 

Coulson cleared his throat, bringing the packed meeting room to a sudden hush. Even Hunter sat a little straighter in his chair next to Skye as the director of Shield addressed his employees.

 

“I assume you all are aware of the events in D.C. For the sake of bringing everyone up to speed, the first wave of arrests following the release of the Cartagena files took place last night.”

 

Coulson paused as a murmur rippled round the room. There was an intake of breath on her right and a muttered, “Buckle up, kiddies.”

 

Skye found her attention fixed on the hand by Coulson’s side that flexed and clenched. Behind him, May continued to stare at the back wall in flinty silence.

 

Skye swallowed. Her stomach lurched as the minty wave washed down her throat.

 

And then Coulson dropped his bombshell.

 

“Senator Christian Ward was amongst those taken into custody.”

 

Skye blinked as the room around her exploded. She could hear a creative string of expletives from the Brit beside her. Her focus however never shifted from the man at the front of the room. Coulson didn’t seem to be taking the loss of the firm’s patron well. There were dark shadows colouring the skin beneath his eyes. A tell-tale flicker at his jaw as his teeth ground together.

 

He raised his hand, silencing the collective cry of protest as he continued.

 

“Now I know how you must be feeling right now and to answer your inevitable question, yes, there are certain consequences to this that we must face. No matter the outcome of the senator’s trial, our affiliation with this country’s government is at an end. There will be those, other, firms who will no doubt use this as an opportunity, but Shield will continue to stand against them. We may have lost our presidential approval, but that changes nothing about who we are. Who you all are.”

 

His gaze swept the room, connecting with each of his agents before he nodded.

 

“Dismissed.”

 

There was a loud exhalation next to Skye as Hunter rocked back in his seat.

 

“Oh great. So we’re no longer team ‘Good Guys’.  I’ll go change my job title back to soldier of fortune then.”

 

Bobbi gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder as she walked away to join the exciting crowd. Skye remained in her chair. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to feel about the news she was now officially a mercenary and not an off-the-books government employee.

 

She suspected the answer wasn’t nothing.

 

***

 

Oh shit.

 

Was that a gun shot?

 

That was totally a gunshot.

 

Skye bit her lip as her eyes darted around the small underground room, taking in the slightly bashed metal filing cabinets and the sturdy but basic desk by the back wall. While it was probably extremely useful as some sort of operation room for Cal Johnson’s drug cartel, it totally sucked for the purpose Skye needed it. Namely, as a source of convenient hiding spots where she wouldn’t get shot, either by an overzealous henchman or one of the multiple black masked and armed intruders.

 

What did the guy in the suit say? Agent Paul... no, wait Coulson. Agent Coulson. Lock the door and stay put. He was coming back.

 

Skye sucked in a deep breath and listened at the distant sound of conflict. Did it sound like it was getting closer?

 

Gunfire cracked somewhere outside and to the left, causing Skye to jump and lunge for the door, triple checking the lock again.

 

Skye must have the worst luck in existence with families.

 

Two more shots then silence. Skye let out a shaky breath.

 

Like, for real. What kind of a parent jumped straight to abduction when texting or a simple phone call was an option? And then brought his long lost daughter to his base of operations hours before the US government raided it?

 

Skye knew for a fact these assholes had facetime.

 

Oh god. She just wanted him to come back so she could get the hell out of here.

 

Skye froze as another round on gunfire rang out, followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying closer.

 

Fuck.

 

They were getting louder.

 

FUCK.

 

FUCK WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO? HIDE? FIGHT? WHAT?

 

Skye frantically scanned the room again, taking in the scales, calculator and assorted desk culture as she looked for something, anything, that would make her feel less exposed.

 

A loud pop from the lock on the door had her leaping towards the filing cabinets, trying to use them as a shield as the door flew open.

 

“Skye.”

 

“You...” Skye felt her voice trail off as she took in the figure in the doorway. He’d traded the leather jacket and jeans for something that looked more black ops commando but it wasn’t like she’d ever forget his face.

 

Not when he was the reason she was in this mess.

 

He winced at the tone in her voice. “I’m sorry I don’t have time to explain. I need you to come with me.”

 

Skye flinched back from the extended hand, edging further into the corner.

 

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

 

He shook his head as he stepped in closer. “Skye, please-“

 

“Grant Ward.” She spat out the words and he froze. Skye used the opportunity to increase the distance between them, moving further back round the wall until she felt the press of the desk against her hip.

 

The desk.

 

Suddenly Skye hoped that all the stereotypes of drug gangs she’d seen on TV were accurate. Slowly she reached behind her, the movement of her hand shielded from view by her body as she watched Ward shake off his momentary lapse and step forward again.

 

“Skye...”

 

“Don’t touch me.”

 

Skye shied away from him, using the movement to hide the jerk as she tugged the drawer open.

 

“It wasn’t personal.”

 

His voice was soft, his eyes pleaded for understanding.

 

Skye stretched out her fingers, feeling them brush against something heavy and metallic.

 

“It was my job.”

 

Skye couldn’t hold back her shocked sound of disbelief.

 

“I know exactly what your job is. They told me everything.”

 

Ward flinched as though she had struck him. Her hand closed round the gun.

 

“Skye.”

 

Skye snapped up the gun as he moved forward again, the barrel aimed right at his chest as she narrowed her eyes.

 

“Stay back.”

 

Ward’s eyes widened as he slowly raised his hands.

 

“Put the gun down.”

 

He took another step towards her. Skye thumbed off the safety.

 

“Why? So you can kidnap me again? Someone else offering a better price? Or are you just going to shoot me and let me bleed out on the floor?”

 

He looked almost stricken as he moved towards her.

 

“Skye-“

 

She pulled the trigger.

 

He hit the ground and didn’t move.

 

***

 

Skye ran her finger down the outside of the petal, tracing where the crimson stain faded to a soft gold.

 

_“It’s a hybrid, ‘Double Delight’, my personal favourite of the tea roses...”_

 

Her fingers closed round the base of the bud, only to open moments later as the sharp stab into the flesh of her index finger jerked her out of her trance.

 

Slowly, Skye raised her hand to stare at the small bloom of blood.

 

A deep numbing coldness spread out from her gut.

 

Fuck.

 

Was this his plan?

 

No. Poison was never Ward’s M.O. Skye had read his file enough times to know he always favoured the quick clean kill.

 

Then again, she could see him making an exception for her considering...

 

No. If Ward was going to kill her for his revenge he'd want to get close.

 

She could still taste the memory of sweet almond from her coffee this morning...

 

Screw it. Skye rose from her seat and walked down to the labs. Luckily it was Bobbi and not another of the medical team currently on duty. Skye sucked in a breath before she knocked lightly at the door.

 

“Hey, Bobbi. Got a minute?”

 

Bobbi glanced up from the papers she was reading and gave Skye a welcoming smile as she beckoned her over. “Sure. What’s up?”

 

“I need you to run a blood check for me.”

 

Bobbi frowned as she pushed her chair back to regard Skye more fully as she stepped into the room.

 

“I wasn’t aware of any active cases. Whose blood is it?”

 

Skye swallowed round the sudden lump in her throat. “Mine.”

 

Bobbi arched an eyebrow slowly.

 

"Should I be concerned?"

 

"It's probably nothing, just paranoia. But my coffee was off this morning and I just..."

 

Skye trailed off as she wondered how to say she was worried that one of the world's most dangerous men might be holding a grudge against her. Luckily Bobbi wasn't one to push.


	2. Chapter 2

Her footsteps echoed round the buildings as Skye hurried down the street, skirting the Independence War statue as she fought the urge to look over her shoulder.

 

_Just keep moving,_ she told herself as she pulled her jacket tighter around her. _Just keep moving._

 

The memory of the message she’d received only moments ago burned through her brain.

 

_Safe house compromised. Proceed to Extraction Point A._

 

She’d barely finished wiping the place clean before she’d heard the sound of engines silencing outside. The slam of car doors had accompanied her escape through a back window. She’d heard the splinter of wood as the door was kicked in when she turned left towards the Hilton, trying to blend in with the crowds huddled against the rain that fell from the evening sky.

 

Her comlink was broadcasting nothing but silence.

 

The flashing lights outside the hotel had caused her to stumble, heart in her mouth as she was aware of sirens growing louder at the edges of her hearing.

 

Shit.

 

_Keep moving._

 

She diverted left, keeping her head down as she ran through the briefing Coulson had given on the plane. The river. If all else failed, she had to get to the river.

 

Skye was aware of the crowd around her growing larger as she approached the old city gate. She stumbled again as a body jostled her. Glancing up, Skye could see more flashing lights ahead of her, police armed with guns scanning the crowd as they started to block off the roads.

 

SHIT.

 

The crowd began to slow. Through a break in the wall of people in front of her, Skye saw the police pulling certain figures out of the crowd. Small, female, dark haired, one by one they were taken aside as the police held up a sheet of paper next to their faces.

 

This was so not good. This was like, the total opposite of good.

 

Skye chewed her lip nervously as she considered her choices. Did she want to take her chances with the Hungarian police force or make a break for it...

 

There was a shout as a flashlight swung in her direction.

 

Skye was already moving.

 

More voices joined the first. The crowd scattered around her as she darted across the square. The shouting grew.

 

Skye didn’t need to speak Hungarian to know they wanted her to stop.

 

She didn’t.

 

She turned down right, through Vienna Gate, her feet skidding on the slick paving as she passed under the old stone structure.  Skye’s left arm shot out for balance, her momentum carrying her forwards down the hill only to crash into a firm body that used the movement to step in from her left.

 

She was spun anticlockwise as strong arms wrapped around her ribs and quickly carried her into the shadows of a tree-lined path. Skye could feel the tension in the muscles of his back where her left hand rested beneath his shoulder blade. Her face was pressed tightly against his chest as he crowded Skye against the wall of the building behind her.

 

Her eyes slid shut.

 

She could hear the shouts and footsteps of her pursuers, the patter of rain on the leaves above her, the ragged sound of breathing in time with the rise and fall beneath her cheek.

 

God help her, she remembered that smell.

 

She waited for the sharp sting of a knife between her ribs, the sudden shift in the arms bracketing her as his hands moved to her neck, the cold hard pressure of the gun against her temple.

 

Skye waited.

 

The shouting faded from earshot.

 

Skye frowned as the arms around her loosened and Ward stepped away.

 

“I thought I shot you.”

 

His jaw twitched.

 

“You did.”

 

Skye let out a shaky breath and squared her shoulders as she met his gaze. His dark eyes seemed to bore right through her.

 

The muscle in his jaw flexed again.

 

“Guess this is payback, huh?” she whispered.

 

Ward huffed out a humourless laugh.

 

"In a way."

 

He reached out to grab her hand as he turned and started down the stone steps, tugging her after him. Skye could do nothing except follow.

 

Her heart thumped painfully against her ribs. Her breath formed small clouds of mist in the cool night air. She was aware of the water trickling down her spine from the rain that beat down as they crisscrossed the narrow streets and passageways of Castle Hill.

 

She could feel the warmth from the hand that encompassed hers.

 

Skye focused on keeping one foot in front of the other. They barely seemed to connect with the ground. The blur of streetlights and buildings passed by on the edges of her vision, her gaze fixed on the cling of rain soaked fabric before her.

 

The hand she grasped like a lifeline.

 

They came to a stop beside a church, the Danube and Pest stretching out in front them. Grant turned to face her, his head jerking behind him.

 

“That yours?”

 

Skye glanced round him to see the black unmarked Shield boat waiting by the pier.

 

She nodded, her eyes searching his. He swallowed and Skye felt something deep inside her clench as she waited for a reason, something to explain why he helped her.

 

She’d left him for dead, bleeding out on the floor...

 

A blast of sirens suddenly caused him to tug her in closer, hiding them both from view in the recess of the entrance way. She could feel the way he seemed to tremble, (or was that her?) as her arm curled round his back, their clasped hands caught between them.

 

She’d missed that smell.

 

Skye felt her eyes drift shut as her forehead rested against his collarbone. Her arms tightened involuntarily as she pressed herself closer to his body. In contrast to the chill that whispered along her skin where her wet clothes met the night air, he felt like warmth and safety.

 

In that moment she wanted to hold on forever.

 

She felt him swallow, felt the shiver that rippled through him as she slowly exhaled.

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

Her voice was muffled, her face buried against his chest.

 

She felt him tense and then pull away, her hand dropping loosely to her side as he let go.

 

"Maybe I just don't want you to shoot me the next time you see me."

 

Skye couldn’t move, couldn’t fight the shiver that ran through her as she watched him turn and walk away.

 

***

 

Hunter frowned as he stepped up to join Bobbi and Skye, nodding at the closed door to Coulson’s office.  “How long they been in there?”

 

Bobbi let out a sigh as she turned her wrist to glance at her watch. “I’ve been waiting to hand these reports off for the last twenty ni-thirty minutes.”

 

Hunter grinned.  “Shouting put you off, Bob? That’s not like you.”

 

Bobbi arched an eyebrow before turning her attention back to the door. “It was more the tense angry silence that followed.”

 

Hunter let out a low whistle. “Cartagena?”

 

Bobbi shook her head as she grimaced. “The former Ms Coulson.”

 

Skye tuned out as she turned back to her desk. The black flower case was sat on the file she needed. Her fingers rubbed together as she stared at it.

 

She didn’t want to touch it.

 

She needed that file.

 

She couldn’t bring herself to touch it.

 

“Daisy?”

 

Skye blinked and looked up to find Bobbi looking down at her, Hunter evidently having gotten bored enough to actually sit at his desk for once.

 

Bobbi frowned slightly, her voice soft yet concerned. “You okay, Daisy?”

 

“Fine. Fine, I’m fine.”

 

Skye trailed off as Bobbi gave her a look.

 

Right.

 

Bobbi was married to Hunter.

 

Skye huffed out a breath as she rubbed a hand across her face.

 

“You ever worry that maybe you did something on a mission, like you went too far to maintain your cover or...”

 

Skye felt the words die in her throat as she lowered her hand and stared at the box just out of reach.

 

Bobbi cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

 

“This part of the thing you don’t want to talk about?”

 

Skye groaned. “Am I that transparent?”

 

Bobbi shrugged. “Not usually. We’re only human, Daisy. All of us make mistakes.” She turned her head to call over her shoulder.  “Isn’t that right, baby?”

 

Hunter’s sound of protest was cut off as the door to Coulson’s office swung open and he stepped out behind an elegantly dressed woman. Coulson’s expression was grim as the woman tapped away into her Smartphone.

 

Bobbi was instantly moving away, towards the office where May was still sat behind the desk, her fingers drumming against the dark walnut wood. Skye froze as Coulson and his guest walked over to her.

 

“And this is Dai-“

 

“You’re Skye.”

 

The woman cut Coulson off as she skewered Skye with an assessing stare. Skye fought the urge to run and hide. She pulled her mouth into something resembling a smile and held out her hand.

 

“Actually I go by Daisy now. Daisy Johnson.”

 

The woman let out a delicate snort, Skye’s hand ignored as she arched an eyebrow.

 

“It always felt too ironic to be a real name. Although I suppose I can see why he liked it.”

 

“I...erm-“  Skye fumbled for a response, her eyes darting over the pristine white tailored shoulder to silently plead for help.

 

Coulson stepped forward. “Daisy is one of our best assets.”

 

Skye felt relief course through her as the icy blue stare turned to face him. “You don’t need to convince me. I’ve seen her results firsthand.”  

 

Skye swallowed as the gaze swung back round to her again. “Skye. Codename or cover?”

 

“I... Neither. It’s... it’s complicated.”

 

There was a snort of laughter.

 

“Undercover usually is. Isn’t that right, Phil?”

 

“Rosalind...”

 

The woman, _Rosalind_ , held up a hand as she cut him off.

 

“No, no. It’s fine. I’ll leave you to your funding woes. Best keep calling that client list and drumming up those referrals. It’s a competitive market out there. Don’t want to end up like John.”

 

Rosalind smirked at Coulson’s wince. “I’ll see myself out.”

 

Skye watched as Rosalind sauntered out of the office, attention back on her Smartphone as Coulson let out a growl and stalked back into his office. Skye frowned and turned to her left, finding Hunter leaning back in his chair, feet crossed on his desk, slowly shaking his head.

 

“John?” She queried.

 

“Best man at their wedding. Last I heard he was ten years in at some Turkish prison... could have been Thailand. Or Zimbabwe... Oi, Mack! Where’d they hole up Garrett? It was Zimbabwe, right?”

 

Mack didn’t look up from the reports he was working through.

 

“Colombia.”

 

“Nah, it’s not Colombia.”

 

Mack sighed and looked over. “It’s Colombia. They took him down the same time as that cartel, remember?”

 

Hunter rolled his eyes as he made a rude noise. “Well, yeah, obviously I remember. I remember because I was part of that shitshow of an op that broke him out.”

 

Mack let out a low whistle, his reports forgotten. “Damn, man.”

 

“Yes. Thank you. I know, right? It was like ten months after. When recruiting went nuts.”

 

“Wait, hold up.” Skye cut in and held up her hand as she tried to process. “Some guy who’s wanted in like four different countries was best man at Coulson’s wedding?”

 

Mack and Hunter exchanged a look.

 

“Well, yeah.” Hunter slowly drawled out.

 

“His _best man_?”

 

Mack frowned and leaned forwards over his desk. “Daisy... you do realise that pretty much everyone in this building is wanted in like four different countries?”

 

“At least. “ Hunter interjected.

 

“At least four different countries. “

 

“My last count was eight.”

 

Mack paused and looked over to where Hunter was holding up eight fingers.

 

_Eight_ , Hunter mouthed.

 

Mack sighed as he rolled his eyes and turned back to Skye.

 

“It’s the nature of the job. Someone always loses. Just got to hope that this time, it’s not you. It’s nothing personal.”

 

Skye swallowed. The cold sinking feeling in her gut was back.

 

Hunter broke the sudden silence.

 

“Although Colombia felt pretty fucking personal, I tell you.”

 

“Damn, man. Can’t believe it. You and Colombia.”

 

“I know, right!!! Please. Tell that to Bobbi. Please.”

 

Mack snorted as he turned back to his work. “You’re on your own. I don’t get involved in the personal shit.”

 

“Oh, yeah. Like it was my choice. Innocent bystander here.”

 

Skye huffed a laugh.

 

“Nothing about you is innocent, Hunter.”

 

“Don’t you start. This bloody job. Time to update the old CV.”

 

Skye frowned as she looked back at her own desk. Rising she made her way over to Mack, her most charming smile on her face as she perched on his desk.

 

“So...Colombia?”

 

Mack slowly shook his head.

 

“Best not mention it round here. Just know that, sometimes? Nobody wins.”

 

***

 

Skye let out a shaky breath as she sank deeper into the cushions on her couch. The clock on her wall read half nine.

 

They’d be finishing the morning briefing by now.

 

Skye suspected Bobbi had said something as she’d barely even started to frame her request before Coulson had cut her off and given her a personal day.

 

A reward, he’d said.

 

For Ward, he’d said.

 

Skye curled up tighter as she shut her eyes. She focused on her breathing, the slow in and out May had taught her on her first day of training.

 

Her hands had been shaking too badly to hold the gun steady, her mind replaying the kick of the gun as she had pulled the trigger. The look on his face as he had slumped to the floor...

 

In and out.

 

It was over now.

 

Skye realised her fingers were clenching in time with her breaths.

 

She could feel the weight...

 

In and out. In and out.

 

It was over.

 

Ward was gone and it was over.

 

In.

 

She’d done her job and the good guys had won.

 

And out.

 

She’d done her job and nothing more.

 

The words echoed in her memory.

 

Skye buried her face in the cushions and continued to breathe.

 

It didn't help.

 

***

 

Skye could tell something wasn't right the moment she closed her apartment door behind her. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as she paused with her hand still resting on the smooth wood. She turned her head slowly, her eyes scanning the shadows as she listened to the quiet hum of her air conditioning.

 

Her bedroom door stood ajar at the end of the short corridor.

 

Skye felt her stomach drop as she stepped towards it, the sound of her heels tapping out an increasing tempo as she reached out to fling the door open, half diving across the room in her haste to reach her dresser.

 

She yanked open the top drawer and reached inside, stretching her fingers out to close around the small box in the back right corner.

 

Her fingers closed around empty space.

 

Skye let out a shaky breath as she fought against the chill down her spine. Numbly she slid the drawer back into place and turned around.

 

A lamp had switched on in the living room, the light now spilling into the corridor.

 

Skye closed her eyes and slowly inhaled, opening her eyes as she exhaled and moved forwards.

 

He was sat on the chair in the corner, one arm resting on the small side table next to him. His fingers spun the open box from her dresser round idly as he watched her edge round the corner and enter the room.

 

“I’m curious. Did you keep it as a trophy? Or a souvenir? I suppose it makes a change from the novelty shot glasses and snow globes. Or a T-Shirt saying ‘I went to Vegas and all I got was this shitty marriage certificate...”

 

Skye felt her stomach drop. Her eyes flickered briefly to the cabinet in the corner. She’d barely begun to move before...

 

“Glock 25. Gotta say, I had you down as someone who preferred something a little more home-grown.”

 

Ward pulled a face as he studied the gun in his other hand before bringing it down to rest on his thigh, his right hand loosely on top of it.

 

Skye swallowed. "Ward."

 

"Skye."

 

She couldn’t hide the flinch at the coldness in his voice, stabbing through her like a knife.

 

Skye caught herself flexing the fingers of her left hand again and forced them to stay open. She was aware of the sharp gaze across the room that missed nothing.

 

“How...” Skye trailed off and licked her lips as she tried again. “When did you get out?”

 

Ward tilted his head as he smiled without humour. “It turns out that my brother’s plans for a public show trial and execution came to an end at about the same time as his political career.”

 

Skye nodded as she bit her lip. She saw his eyes track the gesture. He let out a humourless laugh as he rose to his feet, tucking her gun into the back of his jeans.

 

Skye blinked, unable to hide her confusion.

 

“You’re not here to kill me?”

 

Ward froze as his eyes snapped back to her face, his expression unreadable. He moved as though to take a step towards her before he caught himself and rocked backwards. Skye tensed as he reached in his jacket pocket.

 

He pulled out an envelope and threw it in her direction. The thick heavy parchment skidded to a stop at her feet. She could read the address of a law firm, neatly typed on the front.

 

 “I know we said til death do us part, but I figured this was easier. And less painful than getting shot again.”

 

Skye couldn’t tear her eyes away from the stark letters.

 

“Ward...” she whispered.

 

He was already gone.

 

***

 

“Ward? Grant?”

 

She heard a sleepy mumble in answer to her whisper as he curled closer to her, the stubble on his cheek rubbing against the nape of her neck.

 

“Hnn. Wife.”

 

The arm draped over her torso tightened slightly as he hugged her to him before it relaxed as his breathing evened out again.

 

Skye closed her eyes as she tried to fight against the roll in her stomach. Why did Ward have to pick the only hotel room in Vegas that didn’t water down the drinks in the mini-bar?

 

In and out. In and out.

 

Skye shifted slightly, waiting to hear if there was a change in the breath currently ghosting across her skin.

 

Nothing.

 

Gingerly Skye slipped out from Ward’s embrace as she made a break for the bathroom, scooping up her discarded clothes as she fled.

 

She wasn’t thinking about the soft, dull ache in her body as she moved.

 

Or the sticky, tacky feeling between her thighs...

 

The shower didn’t help. No matter how hard Skye scrubbed at her skin, eyes fixed on the smooth white tiles/ _So cold against her back as he had thrust up into her/_ she couldn’t feel clean.

 

She brushed her teeth, the spearmint flavour of the toothpaste overwhelming her taste buds as she refused to look in the mirror/ _His eyes meeting hers in the reflection, calloused fingers slowly making her fall apart/_ she gagged as she spat out the foam and rinsed out her mouth.

 

In and out / _in and out_ / Skye gritted her teeth together as she yanked on her dress.

 

He stirred when she opened the door again, a moment too late in shutting off the bathroom light. She heard a small sound of concern and forced herself to remember her job.

 

Remember her mission.

 

“Skye?”

 

She half sat on the bed and leaned over him, brushing a kiss against his shoulder. “Hey baby.”

 

His frown softened into a contented smile as he reached up to brush a hand against her face, the movement sweeping down her neck, her arm, until he reached her hand. His fingers circled the ring on her finger.

 

Skye felt the bitter twisting of nausea deep inside at the expression of awe on his face. She pushed it back and forced herself to smile as she let his fingers entwine with hers and pull her closer.

 

The kiss was soft, warm and lazy with the traces of sleep that still clung to him.

 

“You going somewhere?”

 

 “I’m just going to grab a few things.”

 

He frowned, trying to blink himself awake. “But you are coming back? Or do you need me to-”

 

“I’m coming right back. “ Skye swallowed the lie as she dropped another soft kiss on his mouth. She could feel his lips pull into a smile as she drew away.

 

“I’ll be right here.”

 

Skye smiled as she trailed her hand down his back, noticing how the touch caused his eyelids to droop.

 

“Get some sleep. You won’t even miss me.”

 

“...always miss you.” The words were muffled and slurred.

 

Skye pretended not to hear them.

 

***

 

Skye stared down at the dossier in front of her. A familiar face stared back from the photograph under the paperclip on the corner. Her fingers twitched. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to touch it or push it away.

 

She folded her hands together and kept them in her lap.

 

Her first solo mission...

 

Skye heard Coulson shift on the other side of his desk as he leaned forward. She glanced up to see concern across his features.

 

“Is there a problem, Daisy?”

 

Skye hastily shook her head, forcing her eyes to remain on Coulson’s face and not drift back downwards.

 

“What? No! No. No, not if you think I’m ready, it’s just...”

 

“Daisy?”

 

“It’s just...” Skye trailed off as her eyes flickered back to the photo.

 

She could feel that stare burning through the paper.

 

Skye swallowed. “Why me? I’m not saying I can’t handle it or that I’m not happy at your confidence in me or-“

 

“It’s because of Budapest.”

 

Skye frowned as her protests died on her lips.

 

“Buda... But we failed in Budapest. Budapest was a failure. Agent 33 assassinated the professor before we could extract him, the safe house was compromised, I...”

 

Skye trailed off as she remembered the flight through the city. The roadblocks and constant sirens. Armed police on every corner sweeping every street.

 

The strength in his hand as he had pulled her out of a rapidly closing net.

 

Skye felt a growing tightness in her chest as she realised Coulson knew.

 

Coulson knew how she managed to make it to the extraction point.

 

His next words confirmed it.

 

“I picked you because you’re the only one he won’t kill on sight.”

 

Skye didn’t find the words comforting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you thought this was a coffeeshop AU. Nope, it's the married in Vegas AU. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Everyone makes mistakes. Every agent has that one job, that one mission that haunts them. Bad intelligence, a bad call made under pressure, plain old bad luck. Whatever the reason there was always that one defining moment. Hell, their entire profession was based on people making mistakes. Picking the wrong person to trust. The wrong person to believe. The wrong person to...

 

Skye shook the thoughts from her head as she reached for the glass at her side. The whiskey burned as she took a long swallow.

 

It had all been so much simpler back when she was just Skye. Back when a bad decision could be fixed with a few careful keystrokes and a new location to park her van. Before she even heard the name Daisy Johnson.

 

Before Grant Ward.

 

Her gaze flicked back to the papers sat in front of her, the space for her signature clearly marked and just waiting for her pen to touch the paper. Once again he was offering a way out. All she had to do was sign her name...

 

She took another mouthful of whiskey.

 

She knew what Daisy Johnson would do. Daisy Johnson would have signed next to each and every mark an hour ago. Daisy Johnson would have already dropped the envelope in the mailbox on the corner and walked away without a second thought.

 

So why hadn’t she?

 

She thought she’d left Skye behind her. Left the name along with her innocence back in a room with no windows in Puerto Rico.

 

Maybe if her aim had been a little better she would have.

 

When Coulson had found her, gun still in hand as she fled from that moment, that decision to pull the trigger, it had felt like a way out. A chance to start anew. She’d pulled the identity of Daisy Johnson, daughter of a fallen cartel boss now an agent of Shield around her like a suit of armour. There were supposed to be no ties left to Skye.

 

It was supposed to be a fresh start.

 

Instead she’d ended up here, her whole existence defined by a series of mistakes.

 

She knocked back the last of the whiskey.

 

Fuck it.

 

She dropped the glass on the table. It landed on its side, spinning across the surface until it bumped into the empty ring box.

 

She was sick of mistakes. Of lying and cheating and telling herself it was all alright because she was one of the good guys.

 

She hadn’t felt like she was good since that day in the diner.

 

She missed that feeling.

 

She missed her ring.

 

She missed a lot of things.

 

***

 

He was sat at the bar.

 

His long, lean form was encased in a soft grey suit that highlighted the broad shoulders and muscle tone beneath. Skye swallowed as a fluttering sensation stirred in her stomach, her hands self consciously smoothing the silvery blue silk of her dress as her eyes drank him in.

 

She could do this. She could walk over there and...

 

His shoulders slumped and he looked over to the woman on his left, the gesture so unguarded that Skye froze as she realised they were together. Skye saw his companion lean in and press something into the palm of his hand, the movement causing her to brush against him.

 

Skye felt something cold twist inside her as her breath caught.

 

He was meant to be alone. The file Coulson had given her had said he was travelling alone.

 

Skye could only watch, the tight heavy knot in her chest growing as the pair looked at each other with obvious closeness.

 

This was a mistake. She’d known it in Coulson’s office. Known it all the way down the interstate into Nevada. This whole mission was one big mistake.

 

Skye was about to leave, to turn tail and flee, mission be damned when Ward glanced away from the woman next to him.

 

Their eyes met in the mirrored reflection behind the bar and Skye forgot for a moment how to breathe.

 

Ward froze.

 

The woman next to him turned and looked at Skye.

 

She could do this. She just had to focus, remember the mission, keep him distracted long enough for the grab team to get into place.

 

She could do this.

 

Skye forced her shoulders back as she started to cross the crowded room.

 

She saw the woman lean in and say something that caused Ward to break their eye contact. With a brush of her hand against his forearm, the woman turned and left.

 

Okay, this was good. This was what she wanted. Ward was alone. She just had to keep it that way until back-up arrived.

 

Skye was near enough now to see how he swallowed nervously before he looked back into the mirror, tracking her progress with wary eyes. She inhaled slowly, holding the breath for a moment before releasing it the way May had taught her. Too late for turning back now. Not that Skye was even sure she could. Something about the way his eyes followed her seemed to catch and anchor itself in her chest, pulling her closer.

 

She could do this.

 

She slid onto the empty bar stool next to him and flipped her hair over her shoulder, aware of how closely he followed the gesture as she watched his reflection out of the corner of her eye.

 

She could do this.

 

She wet her lips.

 

“Whiskey sour.”

 

He blinked, confusion flooding his features as he turned to look at her.

 

“What...?”

 

Skye raised an eyebrow as she turned her body to face him, forcing herself to relax and meet his gaze with a small smile.

 

“It’s what I’m drinking. Whiskey sour.”

 

Ward’s brow wrinkled as he slowly shook his head. Skye clamped down on the fluttering in her stomach as she casually looked away, aware of how his eyes seemed to pull shivers from her skin as they swept over her.

 

Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest as she placed her clutch on the bar.

 

“You’re buying. That way, we’re even.”

 

Skye was oddly proud of how calm the words sounded. She sucked in a breath and turned to throw her best flirtatious smile at him.

 

She heard his sharp inhalation. Saw the way his eyes widened and darkened.

 

“I shouldn’t...”

 

He trailed off and forced his gaze away, focusing instead on the bar as he threw some bills on it. Skye felt her stomach drop and the smile slip from her face as he started to rise. She moved without thinking, reaching out with her hand and resting it on his forearm as her careful act of nonchalance fell away in her haste to stop him from leaving.

 

“No. Grant. Stay. Please. Look for once can’t we just... not do all that?” Skye blew out a sigh. “Let’s just be two people in a bar in Vegas getting a drink.”

 

His gaze was fixed on the spot where her skin touched him. She could feel the tension under her fingers. See the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

 

“Please. Two strangers. We saw each other when I entered the bar.” Skye said softly, her thumb tracing gentle circles as she spoke.

 

Ward seemed to tremble beneath her touch.

 

“We...” he breathed.

 

“This time, you have the empty seat next to you.” Skye leaned in closer, causing him to inhale sharply before finally, _finally_ he looked at her.

 

“I did everything wrong.” He murmured his expression unguarded as his eyes searched hers...

 

_She could do this._

 

Skye smiled as she pulled back her hand.

 

“Not yet.”

 

She couldn’t track the emotions that seemed to flash behind his eyes, could barely process her own feelings as she took another slow breath and relaxed into her smile.

 

“Whiskey sour.” She prompted again.

 

Ward stared at her for a moment longer before nodding sharply and settling back onto his stool, raising his hand to signal one of the waiting bartenders.

 

His eyes never left hers as two fresh tumblers were placed in front of them.

 

“Now what?”

 

“Now...” Skye picked up her glass and held it up to him. “We do this right. Thanks for the drink, stranger. What’s a guy like you doing in a-“

 

“Bar like this?"

 

Skye felt her heart stutter in her chest as she saw the ghost of smile at the edges of Ward’s mouth. She raised an eyebrow, lip catching between her teeth as she waited.

 

He didn’t keep her waiting long.

 

“Did I steal your line?”

 

Skye quirked a smile. “Who said I had a line?”

 

Ward’s eyebrow twitched and Skye released the breath she didn’t realise she was holding.

 

“Yeah you totally just stole my line.”

 

His smile in response was dazzling. Skye quickly took a sip of her drink to try and tame the answering pull inside her. She swung round to face him fully as she held out her hand.

 

“Got a name, stranger?”

 

His hand closed round hers, as strong and warm as she remembered.

 

“Grant. You?”

 

Skye didn’t even try to fight the grin that spread across her face.

 

She had him.

 

***

 

She signed her name.

 

Dropped the pen from her fingers.

 

The address was already on the envelope.

 

She folded the document and put it inside.

 

No more mistakes.

 

She grabbed the envelope along with her jacket as she left the apartment.

 

***

 

“What do you mean, ‘back-up’s been delayed?’”

 

“Just that. Back-up has been unavoidably delayed. Apparently it’s all kicked off in Libya and everyone’s busy with that so there’s nothing else for it. You’re just going to have to stall.”

 

“... _Stall. STALL?_ Jemma, are you out of your mind?”

 

“Well, there’s no need to snap at me, Daisy. I’m only relaying information.”

 

“Jemma, I am currently in the casino bathroom for the fifth time in an hour. I can’t keep checking in for updates. You need to get here now or he’s going to get suspicious and we’re going to lose him.”

 

“And I’m telling you that’s just not possible. You’re the operative. Go... spy him up or whatever.”

 

“Jemma...”

 

There was nothing but a dial tone at the other end of the line.

 

“Fuck.”

 

Skye resisted the urge to throw her phone against the sleek marble tiling. Her hands dropped to either side of the sink as she took in a long, slow, steadying breath.

 

In and out.

 

She could do this.

 

With another deep inhalation, Skye forced the anxious churning in her stomach back down to a manageable level and looked up. Her reflection stared back, hair softly curled and falling just past the top of her dress.

 

Her eyes looked troubled.

 

Skye huffed out a breath, using the action to relax her face into a smile.

 

Better.

 

She could do this.

 

She just had to find a way to get Ward out of the bar, get him some place quiet where she could wait for back-up.

 

Her phone buzzed as a text message came in and Skye swiped her thumb over it.

 

She felt her stomach drop as she read Jemma’s text.

 

_Back-up ETA 0600._

 

FUCK.

 

Seven hours.

 

She had to find a way to hold onto Ward for another seven hours.

 

Her hand fumbled for the faucet, splashing water over her wrists as she forced herself to think. She could do this. She’d been trained for this. She just needed to break it down into smaller pieces.

 

Step one; get Ward away from the bar.

 

In and out.

 

Skye looked back into the mirror. Grim determination stared back.

 

She was going to do this.

 

He was still sitting at the bar, the tension in his body that had been present earlier having slowly faded as the alcohol flowed. Skye felt her footsteps falter slightly as he looked over to her, an easy open smile lighting up his face. Her mind flashed back to another time, another place, where that smile had overridden all of her street honed instincts.

 

God. That smile.

 

She covered her stumble with a smile of her own as she ignored the cold clawing feeling inside. With any luck Ward would put it down to the cocktails, unaware of the twenty Skye had slipped the bartender to make sure her own drinks were of the ‘Virgin’ variety.

 

“Miss me?” she asked brightly as she slipped past him to perch on her stool, nodding at the bartender to refresh their glasses.

 

“Always.”

 

Something about the softly spoken response caused Skye’s stomach to flip. She looked back across to find Ward gazing at her with a dazed kind of awe on his face.

 

_Focus. Remember the mission._

 

His eyes dropped to her hand and he reached out to gently brush his fingers against hers, the gesture sending sparks across her skin as he turned her hand and linked their fingers together.

 

Her heart stuttered and then beat against her ribs in an increasing tempo.

 

The mission. She had to get Ward out of the bar.

 

“So...” She began, using their joined hands to pull him closer. “I have a confession to make...”

 

“Oh?”

 

His smile dimmed, a slight frown appearing between his eyes as a note of uncertainty entered his voice. Skye forced her smile to widen as she leaned into him.

 

“This is my first time in Vegas and so far all I’ve seen is the inside of this Casino.”

 

The crease on his forehead eased as his lips quirked into a smile.

 

“You asking me to show you the sights?”

 

Skye caught her lip between her teeth as she shrugged a shoulder.

 

“If that’s what you want to call it...”

 

His hand tightened around hers as she heard his sharp intake of breath. She glanced up to see his eyes darken as he swallowed.

 

Skye leaned in closer, looking up through her eyelashes at him.

 

“Wanna hit the strip? I heard there were dancing fountains...”

 

Her heart felt like it was about to burst through her chest, each beat thudding against her ribs almost painfully.

 

 _Say yes_ , she willed, _say yes and leave._

 

He huffed out a laugh.

 

“Sure.”

 

Skye felt her insides swoop as he rose to his feet, tossing a handful of bills on the bar to cover their tab. She grabbed her clutch and slid off the bar stool.

 

Okay. Step one was complete.

 

Now she just had to get him somewhere alone and keep him there til morning.

 

Skye smiled up at Ward as he gently rested his hand on the small of back, the warmth of his skin radiating through the silk of her dress and down to her bones.

 

How hard could that be?

 

The answer, Skye realised an hour later as her heels began to pinch, was very.

 

Despite the quantity of alcohol coursing through his system, relaxing his body into an easy laidback grace as they walked through the streets, his hand never slipped lower than her waist.

 

Even drunk, Grant Ward was being a perfect gentleman.

 

Worse, Skye found herself enjoying his company.

 

 _Focus._ She told herself, as she fought the fluttering feeling inside. _Focus on the mission._

 

There was nothing else for it. Skye spun herself round, sliding her arms over his shoulders and pressed her lips to his.

 

There was a moment when she feared she’d blown it, then his hand came up to caress the side of her face as the arm round her waist pulled her in tighter.

 

It was a good kiss. It was an _amazing_ kiss, leaving Skye’s legs weak as his mouth slanted over hers, the drag of his fingers leaving soft tingles in their wake.

 

A loud wolf whistle off to their left brought Skye crashing back to reality. They broke apart as some random passerby called for them to get a room.

 

Skye bit her lip as she gazed up at Ward, his expression one of stunned wonder.

 

“Maybe we should do as the man says.” She murmured, her hands stretching up to drag her fingers down the back of his neck, pulling him back down as she chased his lips with hers.

 

“I...” he breathed between kisses. “We...can’t.”

 

Skye pulled back as she felt her stomach drop, a frown starting to form as she looked up at him in confusion.

 

“Why?”

 

He swallowed and ducked his head as he struggled to speak.

 

“I...I wanna do something right for once. I want to do this, right.”

 

Skye blinked as she tried to process. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. As if sensing her conflict, Ward pulled her in closer, resting his chin on the top of her head. Skye turned her face as she pressed herself against him. Her gaze drifted across the street, stopping on the brightly lit building on the other side of the road.

 

She couldn’t. Could she? She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, the familiar scent playing against her senses.

 

It was for the mission. It wasn’t like it counted. Right?

 

The firm hard lines of his body radiated warmth where she pressed against him. She had to. She couldn’t let him leave...

 

Skye let out a breath and pulled back to look into Ward’s eyes with all her conviction.

 

“So we do it right.”

 

Confusion swept over his features.

 

“Wha-“

 

He glanced over the road, following her gaze. She felt him stiffen as he saw the small Wedding Chapel opposite.

 

Skye pressed against him, dragging her lips against the hollow of his throat.

 

“I’m a proper southern girl” She murmured as she slid her hands underneath his jacket, feeling the way the muscles beneath her fingers jumped as she tracked them up his back. His own arms tightened, crushing the silk of her dress.

 

“Don’t make me untidy.”

 

She pulled herself up to press kisses on the underside of his jaw, revelling in the groan the action drew out of him until his mouth was back over hers. His tongue swept against her lips, seeking entrance and Skye opened her mouth to flick the tip of her tongue against his.

 

She had thought the previous kiss was intense.

 

She’d been wrong. For a moment she lost herself in him, chasing for more as she pressed herself tightly against him. The arms tightly banded around her were the only reason she was able to keep standing as she fell into the feel, the sensation of Grant Ward.

 

They broke apart for air, both breathing heavily as his eyes searched hers.

 

“Do you really want to do this, Skye?”

 

She smiled as she leaned in to press a chaste kiss against him.

 

“I do.”

 

***

 

His back was to the door.

 

Skye froze in the entranceway, the stolen hotel master key hanging limply from her fingers.

 

He was sat at the table, shoulders hunched as he leaned forwards on his elbows, attention fixed on something in front of him, an empty tumbler to his left.

 

And his back was to the door.

 

Skye closed her eyes as she swallowed, the low swooping feeling in her gut flaring in response. She forced it back as she clenched her fists, the gesture causing the hard plastic in her hand to stab against her fingers. The pain helped.  She could do this.

 

She opened her eyes.

 

Her Glock was aimed at her, the lines of Ward’s body tense and radiating anger as he stood facing her across the room.

 

Skye wet her lips.

 

She could do this. She had to do this.

 

“Whiskey sour.”

 

She heard his quick, ragged intake of breath, saw the way his shoulders tightened briefly, felt the weight of his stare...

 

Skye didn’t move as she felt her heart race. The moment seemed to stretch on forever.

 

Ward relaxed his stance, flicking the safety back on as he moved the gun away from her. He huffed out a humourless laugh.

 

“Skye.”

 

She didn’t move as he tucked the gun back into the waistband of his jeans. Didn’t flinch as he stalked towards her to close the distance between them, fingers drumming against his left jean pocket. She tilted her head to hold his gaze as he came to a stop in front of her, a maelstrom swirling in the depths of his eyes. She could see the telltale twitch in the muscle of his jaw.

 

Slowly she reached into her jacket, pulling out the envelope she had just placed there. His eyes snapped to it and he froze as he stared at the cream coloured parchment.

 

“We’re doing this right.” She said softly.

 

His eyes snapped back to hers and she swallowed at the force of emotion behind them.

 

She could do this.

 

Skye wet her lips as she stepped closer.

 

“For once. Both of us. Me. _I’m_ doing this right...”

 

She could feel the heat from his body. Could feel the tension thrumming through him. Skye closed her eyes as she inhaled.

 

She could do this.

 

She opened her eyes.

 

“Whiskey sour.”

 

He stared and then stepped back with a nod, heading towards the mini-bar.

 

Skye released her breath.

 

She could do this.

 

***

 

They crashed through the hotel room door. Skye couldn’t think of anything but the feel of his mouth moving against hers, the hands sweeping across her back pressing her closer to hard planes of his body as they stumbled into the room.

 

She didn’t want to stop, wanted to stay in this moment forever, every nerve in her body sending electrified shivers that fuelled the growing need inside her.

 

The roses in her bouquet crushed as she tightened her arms around him. She could feel the weight of the stone on her finger, the coolness of the metal band that he had slipped onto her left hand moments ago.

 

His lips moved to brush against a spot on her neck and Skye couldn’t hold back the moan as tingles rushed down her spine. She heard an answering growl and then his hand was round the back of her thigh, supporting her weight as he pressed her against the wall. She could feel him, hard and ready through the layers of fabric between them as she canted her hips, the dampness between her legs growing as he attacked her neck with tongue and lips and teeth.

 

Her eyes fluttered shut as he drew another moan from somewhere deep inside her, her senses overloading at the feel, the scent, the taste of him.

 

“Grant...” she sighed as she tilted her head to allow him better access.

 

Oh god. The things he was doing with his mouth.

 

She wanted him. She wanted this, Skye realised as she felt her legs tremble. She wanted more.

 

With a strength she didn’t realise she possessed, Skye slid her hands round to push at Ward’s shoulders.

 

He broke away from her, his pupils blown wide, mouth flushed with kiss swollen lips. His fingers stroked the sensitive skin of her thigh, sliding up to cup her ass and she squirmed as she bit her lip.

 

Whatever it was Ward read in her face had him backing up across the room, a smirk that did things to the growing warm thrill inside her playing across his lips as Skye pushed him down into one of the lounge chairs.

 

Skye licked her lips as her eyes hungrily swept over him, hands already at his belt and pulling it free as she brought her right knee up to slide against the outside of his thigh, her body hovering just above his as her left hand dragged up the obvious sign of his arousal.

 

Ward’s eyes shut as his head fell back with a groan. Skye grinned as she palmed his cock, hard and swollen beneath the fabric of his pants. She rolled her body up and against his as she lowered herself down, her hand already pulling his cock free. He felt thick and heavy in her hand, precum starting to leak from his tip. She dragged a finger round the head, smearing the moisture in a way that drew a louder, more ragged groan from him.

 

Skye leaned up to tug gently on his earlobe with her teeth.

 

“Fuck me, Grant.”

 

His eyes flew open as a small crease appeared between his eyebrows.

 

“Your dress...”

 

Skye ghosted her lips along the underside of his jaw as her hand slid back down to give him a lazy pump.

 

“Fuck the dress.”

 

She added a twist of her wrist as she moved her hand back up, fingertips tracing the veins and velvety smoothness. His hands flew to her thighs and she tilted her hips so his knuckle dragged along the soaked seam of her panties.

 

“You can fuck me as your wife later.”

 

She felt one of his fingers hook underneath the elastic, pushing the fabric aside to glide up the length of her slit and circle round her swollen clit. She let out a low throaty moan and the slow, slick slide sent tremors from the base of her spine. He let out a choked curse and she felt his finger replaced by the heat of his cock as he slicked himself up on her arousal.

 

He let out a groan as Skye rolled her hips, causing the head to push at her entrance.

 

“We should wa-“

Skye cut him off as she pressed her mouth to his and tilted her hips. The stretch as he slid inside, so gloriously thick and hard, had Skye’s toes curling. Beneath her, she could feel the tremble in Ward’s body as he sank in deeper, inch by inch until he filled her.

 

She arched her back as her head rolled back, the heavy glide dragging across the part of her that made her see stars. Skye gave her hips an experimental roll and let out a breathy moan as the movement caused another ripple of warmth to race through her.

 

She opened her eyes and reached up one hand to trace the side of Ward’s face, feeling the quickening flutter beneath her fingers as they drifted down his neck to rest on his heaving chest.

 

He snapped his hips up, and Skye moaned louder and then his hands were on her hips as he thrust inside her, every drag causing the growing trembling inside her to grow. One hand snaked across her body and then his thumb was pressing at her clit, rubbing it in a way that caused Skye’s eyes to roll back. Her body locked around him as waves of sensation crashed through her. She could feel herself, fluttering, clenching around his cock as his hips stuttered to a finish and he came with her name on his lips.

 

Skye collapsed on top of him, the muscles giving way to warm, blessed out pleasure as she brushed her lips against his throat.

 

She felt a shaky hand thread itself into her hair as his fingers rubbed at her scalp in a way that made her purr.

 

“You’re going to kill me.” Ward murmured as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

 

Skye hummed as she clenched her muscles round his cock, still half hard inside her. She felt an answering twitch that made her toes curl as she stretched out on top of him.

 

“Not as long as you stay right there.”

 

She lifted herself up enough to start to undo the buttons of his shirt, his mouth pressing breathy kisses to the underside of her jaw as she slid each rounded stud free from the cloth. Her hands traced up the sculpted flesh the cotton revealed as she pushed the shirt off his shoulders.

 

Skye froze as she saw the gunshot scar. Beneath her, Ward stilled.

 

She reached out a finger to trace the pale indented flesh. Her eyebrows pulled together into a frown as she remembered the way time had seemed to slow as she pulled the trigger, only to crash back moments later as the jolt kicked up through her wrists and arms. She remembered the way her ears rang in the wake of the gunshot, her body frozen to the spot as the echo reverberated in her mind. The way her chest seemed to lock, lungs unable to draw breath as he had slumped to the ground.

 

“I was aiming for your heart.”

 

Her whole body shook as the deep, rumbling laugh spilled from Ward’s lips.

 

“It’s not funny!”

 

Skye pulled back and swatted at him but he caught her wrist and pulled her back down to rest on top of him. She let out a sigh, her eyes sliding shut as she rested her cheek against his chest.

 

“I’m glad I missed.”

 

His hand swept down her back, warm and soothing as he pressed a kiss against her hair.

 

“You didn’t miss.”

 

***

 

Skye traced the bead of condensation on her glass with her finger, aware of the silent presence across from her. She lifted the drink to her lips and took a sip, aware that his glass sat untouched.

 

Skye cleared her throat.  “The rose... I had one like it-“

 

Ward cut her off angrily. “I thought the point of all this was to leave the past behind us.”

 

Skye swallowed and placed the glass back on the table as she shook her head.

 

“Then why the rose? The coffee?”

 

Ward stared at her, his face unreadable.

 

“Grant.” Skye pleaded, only for him to drop his gaze to his glass as he took a long swallow.

 

Skye frowned as she watched the muscles in his throat flex and shifted forward in her chair. “Tell me.”

 

“I didn’t know, all right? I didn’t know that you were... that you were...” His explosion trailed off with a sigh as he dragged a hand over his face, his body slumping in defeat. Skye couldn’t help but reach out to touch his arm.

 

She felt a cold stab in her chest as he jerked away and looked at her, the emotionless mask back in place.

 

“Let’s just get this over with. Move on with our lives.”

 

Skye shrugged, trying to push back the hurt she felt. It wasn’t like she didn’t deserve it. She slid the envelope across the table.

 

“It was a pretty bouquet. I never thanked you for buying it.” She said softly.

 

Ward let out a bitter laugh as he took the envelope.

 

“You thanked me plenty.”

 

Skye bit her lip before nodding and looking away. She heard the whisper of paper as she took another mouthful of her drink.

 

His sharp inhale caused her to glance back.

 

“...what the hell is this?”

 

Ward had the document in front of him, shock and confusion warring across his face as he read the opening lines.

 

This was it. This was her moment. Skye sucked in a breath as she raised her chin to meet his gaze head on.

 

“Me. Moving on with my life.”

 

He shook his head slowly as his eyes moved back across the paper, reading through the copy of her resignation letter.

 

“I don’t understand... Why are you showing me this? I’m of no worth to you any more, Christian’s gone, John’s not leaving Morocco anytime soon-“

 

She was on her feet and moving towards him before he finished speaking.

 

“Grant”

 

She reached out a shaky hand to rest it against his face. Relief coursed through her as he didn’t pull away, instead staring up at her with questions in his eyes. She moved to stand between his legs as she leaned down and kissed him, pouring all of her feelings, her pleas for forgiveness into the press of her lips against his.

 

There was a moment where he stayed slack and motionless beneath and Skye felt her heart drop. Then his hand was curling through her hair, cupping the back of her head as his mouth moved greedily against hers. Skye slid closer, shifting so she straddled her lap as she pressed against him, needing to feel him, taste him, touch him. She was aware of a soft moan growing in intensity and realised it was coming from her.

 

With a gasp, Ward pulled back, his eyes frantically searching hers.

 

“Just tell me.” He whispered as Skye leaned her forehead against his. She could feel the twitch of his fingers where they lightly rested on the top of her thigh.

 

“Tell me what’s the play here.”He pleaded as she pressed her body to his.

 

“That’s what I’m doing.”

 

He didn’t hesitate this time when her lips met his, surging up in his chair to band his arms around he and settle her more fully on top of him. His hands swept in wide arcs across her body before one hand dipped below the bottom of her shirt. The lazy drag up her ribs to the side of her breast had Skye gasping against him.

 

“What do you want, Skye?”

 

The softly spoken question caused something inside Skye to break, the answer falling from her lips before she even realised.

 

“I want to stop lying. To everyone. To myself. To...”

 

His mouth slanted over hers as he cut off the answer to his question. She could feel the growing hardness underneath her as a slow increasing want thrummed through her. Her hips bucked as she chased the sensation and she felt the rumbling vibrations of his answering groan tremble across her skin.

 

Her lips quirked into a smile as she slowly ground against him enjoying the way his eyes flared.

 

“I want more of that for definite.”

 

She dragged her lips down the line of his jaw, flicking out the tip of her tongue to taste his skin.

 

“Skye...” He groaned as his hands tightened around her hips, his own giving involuntary thrusts every time she hit a sensitive spot.

 

Skye hummed as she continued down his throat, her hand sliding between them to drag across his chest.

 

“In the interests of full honesty, I should probably tell you that I also want my ring back.”

 

He stiffened beneath her, his hands going slack as he pulled away.

 

“Why?”

 

Skye glanced up and her heart lurched as she saw the naked emotions swirling across his face. With a sad smile she gently swept a finger across his brow, trying to smooth out the lines of tension she saw there.

 

“I love that ring.”

 

His lips twitched.

 

“Yeah?”

 

Skye smiled and rested her hand against the side of his face. Some weight deep inside she didn’t even know she was carrying suddenly disappeared as he leaned into it, the warmth of his skin rushing through her as he smiled for real this time.

 

“Yeah. You got that right.”

 

His own hand came up to tangle in her hair and she turned her face to press a kiss against his wrist.

 

“Only thing I did.” He sighed ruefully.

 

Skye shook her head as she leaned in closer.

 

“Not the only thing.”

 

She felt her eyes close as her lips brushed against his jaw. He turned his head to meet hers and then she lost track of everything save the feeling of him. Dimly she was aware of his arms wrapping around her as he rose from his chair. Skye tightened her legs round his waist, her hands clasped round his head as she continued their kiss, trying to pour all of her apologies, her emotions into it.

 

He carried her across the room and slowly lowered her onto the edge of the mattress, dropping to his knees on the floor as they finally pulled apart.

 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, unable to let go. “I’m so, so sorry...”

 

Grant silenced her apology with a gentle brush of his lips before reaching up to grab hold of her wrists and pull her hands down between them. He smiled softly at her as he let go with his left hand and reached into his pocket.

 

Skye felt her breath catch as he pulled out the Black Opal ring.

 

“What do you say we try this again?”

 

Skye bit back the tears that seemed to spring up behind her eyes as she nodded and smiled. Grant leaned in to press another kiss against her lips before he slid the ring onto her finger.

 

Somewhere amidst the flurry of motion as Skye flung herself into his arms, kissing, touching every part of him she could, they managed to free themselves of their clothing. He traced the curves of her body with his mouth, with his breath, with his tongue as Skye squirmed and writhed beneath him. She could feel the rasp of his stubble on the skin of her stomach as he made his way lower.

 

Her head fell back with a moan as he licked up her cunt, pausing to flick at her clit with the tip of his tongue. She felt a finger slide through her damp folds to circle at her entrance before dipping in as his mouth began to nip and suckle and flick at her sensitive bundle of nerves in a way that had her hips bucking off the bed and wordless pleas tearing from her mouth.

 

One finger became two and he crooked them as he pumped them in and out, hitting the spot that made her toes curl and her back arch off the mattress.

 

Skye fought to regain her breath as Ward made his way back up her body, hands reaching to drag him up where she could kiss him, taste herself on his tongue.

 

She could feel him, hot and heavy between her trembling legs and tilted her hips to push him inside. They moaned together as he slid in, her hand reaching down to grab at his ass as she encouraged him to move, the beginnings of another orgasm already starting to build as he began to piston his hips.

 

Skye could feel the warm waves of pleasure start to rush through her as the drag of his cock hit the spot in an increasing tempo. With a cry they came together and Grant collapsed on top of Skye, only to roll off a moment later. She turned and tucked into his side, a deep feeling of satisfaction melting the bones of her body as his arm reached round to cradle her.

 

Her lips pressed a kiss against his chest as her eyes slid closed.

 

“Did something right,” she breathed as sleep rushed up to claim her, her lips twitching into a smile. “Husband.”

 

***

 

“Whatever you do, kid, don’t get attached.”

 

John’s words had been like a mantra.

 

“You can’t ever get attached.”

 

He could still hear him. Still feel the fatherly hand on his shoulder.

 

“To anyone or anything.”

 

Grant thought he had taken the words to heart.

 

His loyalty had never wavered, never faltered as he followed John across the world for the best part of a decade, the words a shield he could retreat behind as he shot his way through mission after mission.

 

“You have to fight that weakness inside you.”

 

That had all changed after Colombia.

 

Night after night of staring at the ceiling, trying to fight against the heavy weight of memories that threatened to consume him whenever he closed his eyes.

 

“Don’t get attached.”

 

But then John had finally gone somewhere Grant couldn’t follow.

 

It had almost been a relief at first. Not enough to stem the nightmares that waited for him at dusk, but enough that he could almost forget them during the day.

 

He moved on. Accepted new contracts, tried to claw his way back to some state of being close to human.

 

It was supposed to be a simple retrieval. Grab the guy’s daughter and bring her safely to Puerto Rico for a family reunion. Then leave them to play at being the drug kingpin version of the Brady Bunch.

 

“Don’t get attached.”

 

Grant knew he was in trouble the second those big brown eyes had swept up to meet his own.

 

He got attached.

 

He went back.

 

He took a bullet to the shoulder for his trouble.

 

That should have been the end of it. He got out of the freelance work, signed up with an agency instead. Strictly white hat. No more eliminating strategic targets and toppling unstable regimes for some combination of resources, power and money. His first mission had been to bring in another casualty of Colombia.

 

He’d got there too late to stop Kara from killing her target, necessitating a change in priorities to extract Kara before the authorities found her.

 

Instead he’d found Skye.

 

“You can’t ever get attached.”

 

He hadn’t even thought to question exactly what she was doing in Budapest, the burning need to get her out, get her safe, had overridden all of his instincts.

 

He had abandoned his objective mid mission.

 

John would have put a bullet in the back of his head.

 

Rosalind had pulled him from field ops.

 

It had been a long time before he could look at Kara without feeling guilty. The scar on her face a reminder that every decision had consequences, every action a cost. She hadn’t held it against him for some reason, instead choosing to give Rosalind everything she wanted.

 

Everything from the Cartagena server.

 

Kara had been put up in a safe house on the outskirts of Vegas. A quiet, pretty suburb where she made jewellery in bright airy sunroom while the analysts combed through the data.

 

Grant had watched their progress with a twisting in his gut.

 

It was an election year after all.

 

Eventually Rosalind had tired of his anxious pacing. Either that or the data team had complained.

 

Whatever the reason, when Kara had requested a catch-up over drinks and a break for her protection detail, Rosalind had already fired up one of the company jets and handed him an expenses card.

 

Told him to take something for himself.

 

The ‘for once’ was implied but understood.

 

They’d met in the bar of a casino. Kara had flung her arms around him as soon as he entered, the scar unnoticeable next to the sparkle in her eyes, the joy on her face. He’d felt part of that weight lift as he returned the embrace, happy that one of them at least had been able to leave the past behind them.

 

She’d shown him the ring she had just finished, the Honduras Black Opal elegantly framed by twisting bands of silver. He’d wondered about her ability to take something that had caused so much pain and make it into something beautiful.

 

“Are you ever going to tell me her name?”

 

He’d heard Kara’s question but couldn’t bring himself to answer, memories of Columbia pushing through his mind as he turned the ring round in his fingers.

 

Fire streaked through the stone as it caught the light.

 

“Grant?”

 

He sighed as he passed the ring back and drained the last of his whiskey. “Skye.”

 

Next to him, Kara laughed softly. He tilted his head to look at her.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing. It just, you know, it fits. It suits her. You think the sun rises and sets in her eyes.”

 

“Kara.” He groaned.

 

“I’m teasing, Grant.” Kara studied him for a second, a thoughtful look on her face before she leaned in with a smile, pressing the ring into his hand. “Here. I want you to have it.”

 

“Wait, what? Kara... I”

 

Kara scoffed and rolled her eyes.

 

“Oh please. Not like that. As if you should be so lucky. No. Take it. Maybe all you need is someone who believes in you.”

 

“Kara...” Grant trailed off as he looked back down at the ring.

 

“You believed in me.”

 

He glanced up in shock at the warm softness in her voice.

 

“I...”

 

There was a flash of silvery blue in the corner of his eye, causing Grant to glance in the mirror behind the bar.

 

He felt the air leave his body as he saw her, saw _Skye_ standing in the entrance, her eyes fixed on him.

 

He felt more than saw Kara turn to look behind them. Her hand closed over his forearm.

 

“Believe in yourself, Grant. I do.”

 

She’d left then, a contended hum on her lips but Ward had found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the reflection.

 

He’d been scared that if he did it wouldn’t be real.

 

He’d thought it was real when she sat down next to him.

 

When she’d taken his hand.

 

Smiled as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

 

For the first time since Colombia, Grant had found himself thinking of the future. One where he no longer had that weight against his soul.

 

He’d thought that night was about forgiveness and wiping the slate clean. It had been the best night and then the worst morning of his life.

 

There was a moment when he remembered the feel of cooling cotton sheets beneath his outstretched fingers; the gradual twisting in his stomach that erupted and overloaded his senses as the door crashed in and he went from wishing she would return, to fearing that she might.

 

The warmth against his body grew as Skye shifted in her sleep, pressing closer towards him and he let the memory fade as he tightened his arm around her.

 

He could feel the weight of the ring on her hand from where their fingers still lay entwined.

 

She stirred and brushed her lips in a half-formed kiss across his chest.

 

For the first time in what felt like forever, Grant let his eyes fall shut and looked forward to the sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, that last part turned into a bit of a monster. Many thanks to everyone who's left a review or kudos, you guys are awesome and I hope this was worth the wait.
> 
> Special shout out to Sassy who is always so encouraging and sends me awesome music which helps my muse feel inspired.
> 
> If anyone is interested in the Playlist that led to this entire thing being written the songs are listed below. Enjoy. ;)
> 
> Caught a Ghost - No Sugar In My Coffee  
> Kaleo - Way Down We Go  
> Tom Odell - Can't Pretend  
> CHVRCHES - Broken Bones  
> Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - Sacrilege


End file.
